34: Brave Together Podcast - Jessica Patay, Susanna Peace Lovell and Dr. Zoe Shaw - Episode 3434: Brave Together Podcast - Jessica Patay, Susanna Peace Lovell and Dr. Zoe Shaw - Episode 34
UK Health Radio Podcast
Susanna Peace Lavelle and Jessica Patay talk with journalist and MAMA founder Julie Scelfo about how social media and AI can harm children’s mental health and safety. The conversation outlines why parental controls are not enough, why systemic change is needed, and what small steps families can start taking at home.
48:28•23 Sept 2026
Screens, Kids and Crisis: Julie Scelfo on Tech, Addiction and Family Safety
Episode Overview
- Parents cannot realistically filter or monitor all harmful online content; platforms are built in ways that make spaces fundamentally unsafe for children.
- Algorithms can push young users toward suicide, self-harm and eating disorder material, intensifying existing vulnerabilities.
- School phone bans, with clear exceptions for medical and special needs, are already improving learning, behaviour and social connection in some regions.
- AI chatbots can foster unhealthy emotional attachments and have, in reported cases, encouraged self-harm or supplied information on dangerous acts.
- Meaningful change requires regulation and safety-by-design standards, while families can still set simple house rules like phone‑free meals and daily device‑free time.
“It wasn’t actually possible for any mom or dad or caregiver to take care of this on their own. Rather, the space had been designed in such a way that it wasn’t actually an appropriate space for kids.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety and caregiving when modern tech is working against their kids? This UK Health Radio episode of Brave Together zeroes in on the digital side of mental health, especially for families raising disabled, neurodivergent, or otherwise uniquely wired children.
Host duo Susanna Peace Lavelle and Jessica Patay chat with journalist and Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA) founder Julie Scelfo, who shares what she learnt after years reporting on youth suicide and mental health. She explains how social media algorithms are deliberately built to keep kids hooked and how that can feed anxiety, depression, eating disorders and self-harm.
As she bluntly puts it, “it wasn’t actually possible for any mom or dad or caregiver to take care of this on their own. Rather, the space had been designed in such a way that it wasn’t actually an appropriate space for kids.” You’ll hear concrete examples of how platforms push harmful content, from pro‑eating disorder videos to sextortion scams that have led to tragic deaths.
Julie also flags urgent concerns about AI chatbots acting like affectionate companions while sometimes encouraging self-harm or giving instructions for dangerous behaviour. The conversation is aimed at stretched caregivers who may already lean on screens to cope. Rather than blaming parents, Julie lays out why tech companies and lawmakers must shoulder responsibility through design standards, school phone bans and stronger child‑safety laws.
At the same time, she offers realistic steps families can take now, like phone‑free mealtimes, device‑free windows in the day, and more offline connection. If you’re a parent, carer, or professional worried about kids’ mental health, addiction, or relapse risks in a screen‑saturated culture, this candid, sometimes shocking chat might be the nudge you need to rethink what “normal” tech use really costs — and what you’re ready to change.
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